Ginning.



W. D. McCOY.

GlNNl-NG.

APPLICATION man sins. 1914.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m ww

W. D. McCOY.

GINNING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8.1914.

Patented Aug. 28, 191? 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig; 2..

W. D. McCOY.

GINNING. APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 8. 1914.

Patented Aug. 28, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WILLIAM D. MCCOY, DIE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

*GINNING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1911?.

Application filed September 8, 1914. Serial No. 860,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VIIJJAM D. MCCOY, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invent- I ed new and useful Improvements in Ginning, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to improvements in methods and apparatus for the ginning of cotton.

The main object is to provide a method and apparatus for the separation of the seed from. the fiber with great rapidity and without injury to the fiber, and at a minimum of expense. One object is to avoid the use of complicated or expensive machinery. Another object is to utilize a method which will require a minimum of space for the apparatus. Another object is to provide a method which is suitable for the ginning of either long or short fiber cotton.

In the drawings I have illustrated one form of apparatus for'carrying out my invention. The invention, viewed from dillerent standpoints, contemplates the interaction of various forces and mechanisms and these may be combined in various ways, and

sure and the fibers pass out between the ribsc The ribs are then closed or brought into contact relation, at which time the seeds are removed by a stripping action of interior blades." The ribs are then opened allowing the fibers to be drawn out by an air current into the outer chamber through which they pass from the machine. The seeds fall down into a hopper and are wlthdrawn from the bottom of the machine. The stripping action is in-the direction of the joints between the ribs which may be termed a longitudinal action as distinguished from the ginning cylinder.

an action otherwise transverse to the joints between the ribs.

The ribbed wall of the inner chamber is preferably in two sections and the ribs of one section are opened while the others are closed. This provides openings from the iiiner chamber at all times, and thus prevents stagnation and increases the speed of o eration. The action of the stripping bla es in one section is continuous in one direction while the ribs are closed, and as the blades are arranged in a set all around the interior of the ribs and the action is rotary, there is no possibility of the seed or fiber being clogged as there would be if the action were continued in the same direction during the period of openness between the ribs. The mass of cotton and seed within the interior chamber is kept in constant motion by a series of paddlelike devices which assist in separating the difl'erent fibers. The wall of the inner chamber may properly be termed By having the ribs run continuousl around this cylinder they support each ot er and thus the adjoining ribs overcome any tendency to lateral flexure of the individual ribs, inasmuch as the ripping relation is continuous throughout the entire circumference. This also r0 vides a very extensive gripping area in a single cylinder so that even in a machine of very moderate dimensions a very extensive gripping area is provided. The process affords a practically continuous circulation of the entire mass of seed cotton. This not only prevents clogging of the machine, but insures great rapidity of operation. Air may be introduced into the bottom of the ginning cylinder to prevent fiber from fallingout with the seed.

I consider this process of drawing the seed-cotton intothe interior chamber, and drawing the fibers out into the outer chamber through the intermittent gripping of the ribs of the inner chamber to be of very great importance. The construction is such that the fibercannot escape from the machine until it is freed from the seed.

Figure 1 is a side view of the machine embodying the improvement of my inven tion.

Fig. 9 is a view in partial section on the central plane of Fig. 1 taken at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan and horizontal sectional view showing the interior construction and arrangement for oscillating the strippers.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the gripping ribs and their connections.

Fig. 5 is a view on a similar scale of fragments of ribs showing part of their connections, the view being at right angles to that of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows two views of part of one of the stripping members.

The seed cotton, or mixture of fiber and seed, enters the machine through the inlet 10 and the separated fiber leaves the machine through the exit 11. The separated seed passes to the bottom and is removed through the exit 12. The machine may be connected with the ordinary blower or flue system commonly used in a modern ginnery for the purpose of moving the seed cotton and fiber.

The wall of the ginning cylinder is formed of a plurality of ribs 13, either helical or merely annular in form, which extend around the shaft 14. A single strip formed into a helix making several turns around the axis serves as a readily supported and expandible member with openings between the convolutions adapted to be closed by pressure. Each convolution in effect constitutes an annular ring. In the form shown, the ribs-are arranged in two sets and the lower is supported by the ring 15. The upper rib of the lower set is held in place by the member 16, the perimeter of which is also in the form of a ring, and adapted to be moved up and down with the shaft 14. The upper set of ribs is supported by this member 16, and the upper rib of the upper set is held in place by the stationary ring 17. In the form shown the ribs are provided with spring members. 18 (see Fig. 4) which tend to separate the adjacent ribs. The adjacent ribs may also be connected by ties 19 and 20 to limit their separating movement. Preferably each rib; is provided with a facing of a suitable gripping material such as leather or wood so as not to injure the fibers which are gripped between the ribs. In the position shown in Fig. 2 the member 16 is holding the ribs of the lower set closed together in their gripping position while the ribs of the upper set are separated leaving openings between them for the fibers to pass through. By lifting the shaft 14 and the member 16 the upper ribs are closed together while the lower ribs are allowed to separate. One set of ribs may be formed by a helix and the other set by separate annular rings.

Inside the ginning cylinder is arranged a series ,of stripping members 25 for each set of ribs. These stripping members extend vertically in the cylinder and trans-v move the strippers in a direction longitudinal of the openings between the ribs. The upper frame 26 has a hub 27 mounted the sleeves 28 on the shaft 14..

Power is furnished to the machine through the medium of the fast and loose pulleys 30 on the shaft 31'. A bell crank lever 32 has one arm engaging the cam 33 on the shaft 31 and the other arm connect ed to the upper end of the shaft 14 so tha'-- as the shaft 31 is rotated the shaft 14 oscillated or reciprocated up and down and alternately raises and lowers the member 16. A vertical shaft 35 is driven from the shaft 31 by means of gears 36. The upper frame 26 carrying the upper series of strippers 25 is oscillated by means of a rod 37 connected to the crank v38 on the shaft 35 so that as the shaft 35 rotates the frame 26 1s oscillated or reciprocated back and forth. The lower frame 26 is oscillated in a similar manner by the crank 38 and rod 37. By reason of the two cranks 38 and 38 being at right angles to each other, the upper and lower series of strippers oscillate in opposite directions and their movement is timed to correspond withthe opening and closing of the ribs.

I also prefer to provide a fan having one or more vanes, such as 40, carried by' the sleeve 28 rotated continuously, for instance, by means of the rope drive 41 ,passing around the pulleys 42, 43 and 44. This fan serves as a distributer and opener for the seed fiber facilitating the action of the air currents in drawing the fibers out between the gripping ribs. The fan tends to throw the seed fiber out against the strippers and the inner wall v.of the ginning cylinder between the strippers and thus performs a function somewhat similar to that of a heater which is commonly an entirely separate machine and operation. The fan also generates air pres-' sure and assists in moving the seed cotton and fiberthrough the machine. A spring such as 46 may be provided for yieldingly holding the shaft 14 in position and thus compensate or balance the weight of the shaft and the parts supported by it: Springs such as 47 and 48 may be provided and held under compression between collars 47 and 48 rigid with the shaft 14, thus firmly yet yieldingly holding the annular member 16. This avoids shock' in the operation of closing the gripping ribs and prevents damage to the parts in case of the entry of any foreign substance beaces-as uniform alinement and operation of the parts.

The outer chamber for the fiber surrounds the outer wall of the inner chamber and lies between the ribs and the casing 50. The

'facilitate the distribution and passage of the seeds and the separation of the fibers.

A certain amount of air may be forced in or simply allowed to leak into the-bottom of the inner chamber through the passage 12, and up through the seed outlets 52, so

that if any fiber tends to pass out through the outlets 52 the air will draw the light fiber upward into thee-ginning cylinder and cause it to pass. outwardly from between the ribs. Partially ginned seed may be ocassionally borne down on to the plate 51 i by the .mass of falling seed incident to an' excess of seed cotton being fed to the machine. ,Such seed upon reaching the restricted seed discharge passage 52, are met by a strong air current by which they are freed. from the ginned seed and returned to the ginning members. The outlet 12 may be provided with a gate 12' for varying and controlling the inflow of air at the bottom of the machine.

One form of stripper is shown in Fig. 6. The relatively broad face 53 is preferably provided with serrated teeth 54 for better coiiperating with the seed and the fiber and insuring the separating of the seed with the minimum of injury to the fiber. It will be noted that by reason of the construction and arrangement of arts the strippers act as a skeleton hub or rame to assist in holding the ribs in their proper position.

The operation is substantially as follows The seed cotton, or mixed fiber and seed, are introduced at the top and circulated by the fan-vanes 40 at the top of the ginning cylinder. Some of the fibers immediately pass through between the open ribs of the upper or lower set of ribs dependingupon which set is o en. The rotation of the shaft 31 very quick y reciprocates or oscillates the shaft 14, and closes the open ribs and opens the closed ribs. As soon as the previously opened ribs have been closed the strippers which coiipera-te therewith are reciprocated or oscillated and the seeds knocked off. At the same time the air is drawing the fibers through the openings between the other ribs and the operation is repeated for each rotation of the shaft 31. It will thus be seen that there is alwa s one set of ribs open for the passage 0 fiber and another set of ribs closed in the stripping action, the two sets of ribs alternating in their respective functions. The fiber and seed are thus separated in what is practically a continuous operation, the cotton being drawn or'forced by air pressure through the outer chamber and the flue 11 and the seed passing through the openings 52 and out from the exit 12 to a Suitable receptacle. The seed cotton has practically instant and direct access to all parts of the ginning cylinder. By maintain ing a substantially constant suction or air pressurewith this apparatus I am enabled to get a uniform ginning action throughout the entire area of the cylinder. The advantage of this apparatus and method of ginning have been indicated herein, and will be apparent to those skilled in this art.

It will be noted the ribs when pressed together in gripping relation reinforce each other, each rib being in contact at both sides with the adjoining ribs. This insures a uniform gripping action throughout the entire area of the gripping cylinder. I wish it understood that the terms employed in the claims are of description rather than of limitation.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. In a cotton gin a series of opposed gripping ribs supported to form a wall with spaces between the opposed ribs forming apertures through the wall, coiiperating stripping members adjacent said ribs and means for contacting individual ribs of the said series on two opposite sides of the rib at one time with adjacent ribs.

2. Ginning apparatus comprising a. cylinder having passages for the fiber, means for opening and closing said passages, and means for stripping the seed from the inner surface of said cylinder.

, 3. Grinning apparatus comprising a cylinder having two parts, means for forming openings alternately in said parts, and means for stripping the seed from the surface of one of said parts while openings are formed in the other part.

4. Grinning apparatus comprising a'plurality of annular ribs forming a wall of the ginning cylinder, means for separating said ribs to form openings, stripping members and means for moving the said stripping members around said wall.

5. Ginning apparatus comprisin a plurality of gripping ribs and means or moving said ribs to form and close openings between said ribs, stripping members extending transversely of said ribs and means der adapted to cooperate with said stripping members and with said wall.

7. Ginning apparatus comprising a cylinder having passages for the fiber, means for opening and closing said passages, -means for stripping the seed from the inner wall of the cylinder and means for maintaining the mass of fiber and seed which is within the cylinder in continuous movement.-

8. Ginning apparatus comprising a wall with apertures therein, adapted to admit fiber of seed, means for supplying seed cotton to said wall, without admitting the seed, an oscillating stripping device adjacent said wall and adapted at both its forward and backward strokes to engage seed of the fiber held in said apertures and means for oscillating said stripping device over the ginning wall.

9. Ginning apparatus comprising a wall having apertures therein adapted to receive and hold the fiber of seed cotton, stripplng mechanism adjacent said apertures including laterally movable blades and means for oscillating said blades laterally to strip seed from fiber held in said apertures.

10. Grinning apparatus comprising two sets of ribs forming the wall of the ginning cylinder, means for forming openings alternately between the ribs of the two sets of ribs, and means for alternately stripping the seed from the fibers held by the ribs.

11. Grinning apparatus comprising two sets of ribs forming the wall of a ginning cylinder, a frame interposed between the two sets of ribs and adapted to move longitudinally of the axis of the cylinder, and two sets of strippers adapted to be operated alternately in opposite directions.-

12. Ginning apparatus comprising a plurality of ribs forming a wall of the ginning chamber, means for moving the ribs to alternately open and close same, and oscillating strippers mounted within said wall.

13. Ginning apparatus comprlsmga plurality of ribs forming a wall of the glnnlng cylinder, means for moving the I'lbS to alternately open and close the same, movable strippers mounted within said wall, and a rotating fan mounted WlthlIhSflld cylinder.

14. Grinning apparatus having a chamber for receiving the fiber and seed, a chamber for the separated fibers, a plurality of l'lbS forming a wall between said chambers, means for moving said ribs to alternately form and close openings between said ribs, and means for stripping the seed from the fiber gripped between said ribs.

15. Grinning apparatus comprlsmg a sues ccssion of gripping ribs supported to form a wall to a chamber. means for separating and bringing said ribs together, means for introducing the fiber of seed cotton between the ribs when the ribs are separated and stripping means adapted to operate long1- currents to flow outwardly from one of the.

chambers through said appertures into the other chamber and means for bringing the opposed ribs together to close the apertures.

18. In a cotton gin a succession of opposed gripping ribs forming a wall to a chamber and having spaces between the opposing ribs forming apertures longitudi nally of the ribs through the wall, means for circulating air currents outwardly of said chamber through the apertures, means for closing the apertures and a stripping device adjacent said wall and adapted to cooperate therewith in a ginning operation.

19. In a cotton gin, two chambers partitioned by a wall, the latter comprising es sentially opposing gripping ribs, means for circulating ,air currents from one chamber into the other through the apertures between the separated ribs, and means for bringing the ribs together and closing the apertures.

20. In a cotton gin a chamber having a wall with apertures therein, said apertures being adapted to admit the fiber of seed cotton without permitting the seed to enter the same, means for gripping the fiber in the apertures so that the seed remains inward of the wall while the fiber extends. outwardly of the chamber and means bearing on the seed to loosen and remove it from the gripped fiber. I

21. In a cotton gin a series of movable clamping members forming a wall to a chamber, means for moving said members to intermittently form apertures between the several members through said wall and means for circulating a fluid outwardly of said chamber through said apertures.

22. In a cotton gin a wall comprising successive opposing ribs having apertures between and separating two chambers, means for circulating air currents from one chamber into the other through said apertures, means for closing said aperture to grip the fiber of seed cotton between the opposing ribs and means for freeing the seed from the fiber thus gripped.

23.. In a cotton gin a succession of op posed ribs movable to grip the fiber and forming a wall to a chamber, the spaces between the opposing ribs forming apertures Laeaeae longitudinally of the ribs through the wall and means for circulating air currents outwardly of said chamber through the apertures.

24. Ginning apparatus comprising means forming two chambers and including gripping ribs forming a part of the wall between said chambers substantially all of said ribs being exposed to said both chambers substantially all the time, means for supplying seed fiber to one chamber, means for forming apertures between said ribs, and means for drzfiving air through said chambers and said wa 25. Ginning apparatus comprising a cylindrical ginning wall having apertures, means coordinating with said apertures in a ginning operation, a circular plate within said wall inclosure to receive the ginned seed, apertures about the peripheral edge of said plate to permit the exit of the seed from said inclosure and means for inducing air currents into said inclosure through said apertures.

26. Ginning apparatus comprising gripping ribs, means for operating said ribs to permit the passage of air and fiber between said ribs, means for stripping seeds from the fibers held by said ribs, means for exit of the seed and-means for applying air currents through said exits to return fiber and unginned and partially ginned seed to said gri ping ribs.

2 Grinning apparatus including a ginning cylinder, having apertures through a wall thereof and a stripping device comprising oscillating blades having serrated edges oppositely projected and adapted to coordinate with said wall in a ginning operation in both directions of movement.

28. Ginning apparatus including a succession of gripping ribs and movable stripping members coordinating with the gripping ribs in a ginning operation and means for bringing the ribs together at opposite sides in gripping relation without flexion.

'29. Ginnin apparatus including a succession of move le ribs and means for applying pressure to the outer ribs only and thus transmitting gripping pressure to the intermediate ribs and stripping means cooperating with said ribs.

30. In a cotton gin an extendible wall, comprising gripping ribs, means for extending said wall and separating the ribs to form openings between the ribs and means for bringing the ribs together in a gripping relation.

31. Grinning apparatus comprising'gri ping ribs forming a-wall, means for extending the wall, and separating the ribs to form openings between the ribs, and means for limiting the width of the openings.

32. Ginning apparatus comprising an extendible cylinder formed by separable ribs, means for extending and compressing said cylinder to separate and bringing the ribs together and means for limiting the degree of separation between adjoining ribs.

33. Grinning apparatus comprising gripping ribs forming a wall, springs connecting adjoining ribs and normally tending to extend the wall and separate the adjoining ribs and means for contacting the ribs in gripping relation.

34:. Grinning apparatus comprising gripping ribs forming a wall, springs connecting adjoining ribs and normally tending to extend the wall and separate the adjoining ribs, means for insuring a uniform degree of separation between the ribs and means for contacting the ribs in gripping relation.

35. Ginning apparatus comprising gripping ribs adapted to alternately separate to form openings and come together, to grip fiber, stripping members operable with the gripping ribs in a ginning operation, mechanism for operatingthe gripping ribs and stripping members timed to operate so that the latter do not have their motion over the openings between the ribs.

Roar. S. Amara, J. CLYDE Rmnmr. 

